HIT television series Undercover Boss will feature a local animal rescue centre next week.

The Blue Cross, which has been caring for homeless pets since the 1940s, will be the first charity to appear in the Channel 4 programme and the episode will include a visit to the animal rescue centre in Kimpton.

The show involves high profile bosses leaving the comfort of their offices to get their hands dirty in an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of the organisation they lead.

Blue Cross chief executive Kim Hamilton is a former city banker who was motivated by the tragic events of 9/11 to re-evaluate her life, get out of the fast lane of ‘morally bankrupt’ city life and instead put her hard-nosed business skills to good use in the charity sector.

Three years after turning her back on a top salary and executive lifestyle to dedicate her life to helping animals in need, Kim decided to accept the undercover mission to find out what really goes on at the front line of animal welfare.

Swapping her suit for scrubs and her diary for a dog bowl, she posed as a volunteer at several Blue Cross sites, including Kimpton. Donning a disguise, Kim worked incognito alongside centre manager Lynda Campbell, her staff and volunteers for two exhausting days to help them care for unwanted and abandoned animals at the centre.

Kim Hamilton said: “In my time as a city banker and chief executive, I’ve often endured tough working days, long hours and impossible decisions, but I’ve never experienced such physical and emotional exhaustion as those days undercover at The Blue Cross.

“It was a one-off opportunity to find the unsung heroes of the organisation, ask what issues are important to them, explore their successes and frustrations, and look at how effective we are.”

Kim’s emotional journey takes her through the highs and lows of animal welfare work, including an 800 mile round trip to collect a van full of unwanted and abandoned dogs from Ireland, whimpering and trembling with fear over what the future may hold.

The experience also opens Kim’s eyes to the true extent of the latest animal welfare crisis to hit the UK – the overbreeding and abandonment of Staffordshire bull terriers. The programme airs at 9pm, on Tuesday July 19.